Closing Worship
Prayers of the People (Based on Colossians 1:6-14)
May you be filled with the knowledge of God’s will
May you be filled with the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit
May you live a life worthy of God, that pleases Him in every way
May you bear fruit in every good work
May you be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might
May you be granted great endurance and patience
May you be grateful for your rescue from the dominion of darkness
May you be joyful for your inheritance in the kingdom of light
Notice these are prayers for abundant life:
Blessings given by God rather than earned from Him
Scriptures
Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Psalm 92:12-14 – “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…”
Notice the focus isn’t on producing fruit - It is delighting in the way of the Lord, trusting in the Lord - The flourishing and fruit are a result of trusting in God’s abundance
Message - Mothering of God
Mothers are for Cuddling - Snuggling up on Mom’s lap especially when sad or hurting
Mothers are for Resting - Able to calm us down when over-tiredness makes us crazy
“Be still and know that I am God…” - Psalm 46:10
Mothers are for Attending - Watch over and find ways to meet needs
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” - Matthew 6:26
Mothers are for Delighting - Delight in watching us delight
God’s beautiful gift of creating us to be able to experience our world through sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch
God’s beautiful gifts from trees - Consider the sights, sounds, smells, tests, feelings of trees that we are thankful for
Mothers are for Abundance - Life flows from her to her children
Think about the abundant life of the tree - the fruit of it simply being a tree
Provides for Needs - Cleans the air, filters the water, holds soil in place against erosion, provides habitat for insects, birds, and animals, provides shade under its canopy
Provides for Healing - Dulls noise pollution and lowers temperatures in urban areas, Windbreaks along farm fields
Testimonies: How have we experienced the mothering of God this weekend?